


Laid Beside and Pulled You Close

by doctornineandthreequarters



Series: Evan Buckley Week 2020 [6]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, First Kiss, Getting Together, Hurt Evan "Buck" Buckley, Love Confessions, M/M, Worried Eddie Diaz
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:00:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26954746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doctornineandthreequarters/pseuds/doctornineandthreequarters
Summary: “Buck!” Eddie’s voice echoed through the basement of the building, concern bubbling through him. They had been evacuating a building after a 4.3 earthquake. Buck and Eddie had been forced to separate, which had concerned Eddie but Bobby had ordered it.Of course, Eddie immediately regretted it when an aftershock hit and Buck wasn’t answering his radio. Eddie had been searching for him since, shouting his name, hoping the blonde would call back to him.---Evan Buckley Week 2020, Day 6: “Please kiss me.” + angst
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Series: Evan Buckley Week 2020 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1966936
Comments: 14
Kudos: 291





	Laid Beside and Pulled You Close

“Buck!” Eddie’s voice echoed through the basement of the building, concern bubbling through him. They had been evacuating a building after a 4.3 earthquake. Buck and Eddie had been forced to separate, which had concerned Eddie but Bobby had ordered it. 

Of course, Eddie immediately regretted it when an aftershock hit and Buck wasn’t answering his radio. Eddie had been searching for him since, shouting his name, hoping the blonde would call back to him. 

There was a tightening in his chest as he moved through the basement. Yes, this was their job. But Eddie always found himself worrying about Buck, especially when he wasn’t there with him. He knew it was ridiculous, Buck was good at his job. But Buck had also been through more injuries and trauma than most firefighters. After everything they had been through the last year, he just wanted his friend to be okay. That was totally normal. Friends worried about each other. And hung out with each other all the time. And helped the other with their son. 

He didn’t have time to cycle through that familiar line of thought as he spotted something across the room. It was a body, and it wasn’t moving. 

“Buck!” He ran towards it, hoping it wasn’t Buck. But he felt a choked shout making its way up his throat when he saw it was Buck. He knelt down, trying to push past his concern, in order to focus on checking on Buck. 

It was clear he had fallen, from the way he was splayed out on the floor. Eddie looked up and gulped, seeing the height which Buck had fallen from. He looked back at his friend, quickly checking his pulse.

“ _Diaz, report_.”

“I found him, Cap.” Eddie breathed a sigh of relief when he found Buck’s pulse. “Pulse is weak. We’re in the basement.”

“ _Sending Hen and Chimney your way. Hang tight._ ” 

“Got it.” Eddie tried to keep his breathing calm as he started to check Buck for injuries. There was blood around Buck, but Eddie couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. He was also worried about jostling Buck too much. 

And then Buck groaned. 

“Buck?”

“Eds?” His voice was weak as his eyes opened. A slight smile crossed Buck’s face as he looked up at Eddie. “What…” He tried to move and let out a pained cry.

“Hey, hey,” Eddie said, gently placing his hand on Buck’s shoulder to keep him from moving. “Just lay still, okay? I think you fell after the last aftershock.” Buck just nodded. “Are you in pain?”

“M-my h-head hurts,” Buck mumbled. Eddie just nodded, starting to think that was where the blood was coming from. He gently moved Buck’s head, earning a pained groan from the other man. Buck reached for Eddie’s thigh, the movement startling Eddie slightly, who banged into Buck’s leg. 

“Buck?” Concern started to fill through Eddie. He had said his head hurt, but not anything else, which didn’t make sense. He reached for Buck’s leg and squeezed it. “Can you feel that?” Buck’s lip trembled as he watched Eddie. 

“N-no.” Eddie tried to keep his facial expression neutral. There could be a whole host of reasons why Buck couldn’t feel that. He just had to stay calm. “E-Eddie...w-why can’t I feel my legs?”

“Just stay calm okay,” Eddie said, reaching his hand towards Buck’s cheek, hoping the action would soothe him. “Help is coming, okay? And I’m not going anywhere.” He ran his thumb along Buck’s cheek and the younger man whimpered a little. 

“E-Eddie,” Buck said, tears starting to form in his eyes. “If...If I don’t make it.”

“Hey,” Eddie said harshly. His heart squeezed in his chest at those words. He couldn’t let Buck think like that. And he certainly didn’t like the idea of losing Buck. “You’re going to be okay.”

“Eddie please.” Eddie’s thumb wiped away a tear that cascaded down Buck’s cheek. “I...I need you to do something. I would do it, but my head...hurts too much to move. And...and if something happened to me, I’d regret not doing it.”

“Buck,” Eddie warned, fear already striking through him. “Hen and Chimney are coming. You’re...you’re going to be…” But Buck cut him off. 

“Eddie, just...please.” The brunette sniffed, his lips pursing as he tried to fight down the tears that were forming in his eyes. “I need you to…” Buck just looked up at him, his eyes filled with fear, but also something else. Something Eddie couldn’t place. “ **Please kiss me**.”

Eddie wanted to say no. He wanted to say that this wasn’t the time and place. But he also knew his concern for Buck came from a feeling rooted deep in him, a feeling he hadn’t acknowledged for a long time. And then, as Eddie looked at Buck, he was able to place that other look in his eye. Because it was the same one in his. 

So, he leaned down, pressing a kiss to Buck’s lips, his hand caressing Buck’s cheek.

“I love you,” Buck murmured against his lips. Eddie fought back the sob that wanted to rip through him and kissed him again, not knowing what else to do or say.

“Buck! Eddie!” He heard Chimney’s voice echo through the basement as he pulled away. 

“Over here!” His thumb caressed Buck’s cheek as he heard footsteps moving towards them. “Everything’s going to be okay.” And as Hen and Chimney finally reached them, Eddie had to keep repeating that to himself, hoping it was true.

* * *

Buck let out a groan as his eyes slowly opened. It took him a moment to realize where he was, as he fought through the haze of pain to adjust to the bright lights above him. 

“Hey.” He turned his head and saw Eddie sitting there. A relieved smile crossed Eddie’s face and Buck sighed. “You’re awake.”

“I feel like garbage,” Buck said, letting his head rest against the pillow. 

“Falling during an aftershock will do that.” Buck’s head quickly turned towards Eddie, everything coming back to him. His lip trembled a little as he looked down at his own legs, remembering the numbness that had overtaken him. Eddie just reached his hand out and squeezed Buck’s leg. Buck let out a near sob of relief when he felt it. 

“You had some spinal trauma,” Eddie explained. “It was why you couldn’t feel your legs. But the doctors took care of you. You’ll be okay, Buck.”

“Just like you promised.” Now that he was fully awake, he was remembering everything that happened between them. He wondered if his ears were turning red, remembering that he had all but begged his best friend to kiss him because he thought he was going to die. It felt stupid now, especially since he had spilled his guts afterwards telling Eddie he loved him, especially knowing that Eddie hadn’t responded. He sighed and looked at his best friend, wondering what to say or how to deal with what happened. 

“Eddie, I…”

“I love you too.” Buck’s eyes went wide, not expecting that from Eddie. Eddie just chuckled and reached for Buck’s hand. Buck let his fingers interlace with Eddie’s, still shocked by his statement. “I was so scared before...scared that you weren’t going to be okay, scared that I was going to lose you. But when the doctors said you would be okay, I knew I had to tell you when you woke up.”

“I’m not dreaming, right?” He was still in such disbelief. He had been worried that Eddie would just ignore what happened, or write it off his confession as the result of a near-death experience and not his real feelings. But here Eddie was, telling Buck exactly what he wanted to hear.

“No, you’re not dreaming.” Buck just smiled as Eddie squeezed his hand. “But you should rest some more so the doctor will release you today.”

“Are you going to…” He watched Eddie, not sure what he was trying to say, but knowing he didn’t want the brunette to leave. Eddie just smiled and leaned forward, pressing a gentle kiss to Buck’s lips. Buck sighed happily, bringing his hand up to cup Eddie’s face. 

“I’m not going anywhere.” Eddie pulled away, sitting back in the chair, as his hand caressed Buck’s knuckles. Buck just smiled, letting his head fall back against the pillow. They probably had more to talk about; a possible date, work, telling Christopher and the others. 

But for now, Buck was content to let his eyes drift shut, knowing Eddie was right by his side.

**Author's Note:**

> [Scream with me on my Tumblr?](https://doctornineandthreequarters.tumblr.com)


End file.
